How Distressed Are Cancer Patients when They Get Discharged from Hospital? Patients’ Distress and its Associations with Health Care Professionals’ Communication Skills and Perceived Stress

Objective: For cancer patients, the period between hospital discharge and outpatient follow-up can result in “distressand” patients need to be prepared by health care professionals (HCP) for that while being in hospital. Adequate communication is important for that. HCPs have often high levels of stress which can have a negative impact on HCPs’ communication. This study examines patients’ distress, HCPs’ communication, HCPs’ perceived stress and the relationships between them. Methods: Sixty-two cancer patients answered questionnaires on their distress (anxiety, depression, symptom burden) two days before and two days after hospital discharge and evaluated HCPs’ communication. Thirty-eight HCPs’, in turn, evaluated their perceived stress. Fifty-three patient data sets and 38 HCP data sets were included and analyzed descriptively, and by linear regression. Results: Pre- and post-discharge anxiety and depression were in the normal range and symptom burden was low. However, approximately 10% had a substantial level of anxiety or depression pre-discharge and approximately 20% post-discharge. Correlations were found between HCPs’ perceived stress and a change in patients’ symptom burden. Conclusion: Many patients were prepared well enough for hospital discharge. Still, the percentage of anxious and depressed patients increased after returning home. HCPs’ perceived stress in hospitals is related to patients’ increase in distress. It needs to be taken seriously to ensure both HCPs’ and patients’ well-being.